1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for cropping a photographic proof to produce a final print having a desired composition selected from the proof and more particularly to a device for identifying the required negative mounting card for producing photographic prints having a selected composition taken from the full print area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the production of photographic prints from negatives, the negatives are mounted on negative or "crop" cards where the negative is positioned in overlying relation within an opening of the crop card. The size of the opening determines what portion of the full print area of the negative will be printed. Accordingly, the full print area is cropped using a negative card with an opening having an area less than the opening for printing the full composition of the negative. By providing a set of crop cards of progressively reduced window opening, the photographer is provided with the ability to select a portion of the full print area for final printing. In this manner, extraneous or undesirable portions of the full print area of the proof are excluded from the final print.
Conventionally, crop cards are made for each type of film format, such as 46 mm, 35 mm, 70 mm, etc. In other words, the film size will determine what type of crop cards are required to be used in printing the negatives. In addition, the size of the window or aperture of a crop card has a preselected height-to-width proportion for the production of prints of a desired dimension, for example, 4.times.5, 8.times.10 or 5.times.5, 8.times.8. In a set of crop cards for producing 4.times.5 or 8.times.10 prints where the size of the opening for each card has a different area, the height-to-width proportion for each card is the same.
The size of each print is identical, i.e. 4.times.5 or 8.times.10, but the composition of the printed area varies as determined by the size of the opening of the crop card used to prepare the print. Any number of crop cards, for example size A-E, for a selected film size are available for custom cropping of the full print area. Each crop card provides a different print area from a minimum area using crop card A to a maximum print area corresponding to the full print area of the negative using crop card E.
The cropping procedure has conventionally been performed by the photographer or the photolab technician. The photographer takes the pictures for the customer and generates a set of proofs for inspection by the customer. The photographer makes the decisions without any input from the customer as to the extent of cropping of the negatives. Similarly, when an individual takes the pictures and has them developed by a photolab, the technician mounts the negatives and produces the prints without any contribution from the customer as to the final composition of the prints.
While negative mounting cards can be used to select the portion of the negative to be printed, it is difficult to view a negative in a crop card to identify the area to be printed without the use of a light box. Therefore, the conventional practice is to select the desired area to be printed from a "proof" of the photographic print. A well known device for cropping a photograph is a sliding arrangement of two L-shaped plates that form a substantially rectilinear aperture. The proof is positioned in overlying relationship with the center point of the aperture and the plates are moved to vary the size of the aperture in a relationship to the full print area of the photograph. Thus, the print not visible through the aperture is masked.
Movement of the plates relative to another adjusts the size and area of the aperture. Throughout the range of movement, the ratio of height-to-width of the aperture remains the same for all sizes. The visible area of the proof changes, but the proportion of height-to-width remains the same for all adjusted areas. Once the selected print area is identified and the desired portions of the full print area have been masked, the selected print areas are marked so that the negative is mounted on a crop card with the corresponding area viewable through the opening of the crop card. The negative is printed, and the final product is a photograph of a conventional dimension but cropped to include only the desired composition from the full print area.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,709,591 and 5,115,271 disclose the above-described sliding plate type cropping devices. These devices are commonly used by photographers and photolab technicians but not by the amateur or recreational photographer. The devices are expensive and would not normally be purchased by the amateur photographer. Also they require a considerable amount of skill and know how in their successful operation. Therefore, there is Deed for a cropping device that provides the amateur photographer with the capability of cropping photographs.
In those cases where a customer retains the services of a professional photographer it is common practice for the photographer and the customer to view together the initial proofs of the photographs taken by the photographer to identify those proofs which are to be finally printed. This is frequently encountered in the photographing of a wedding ceremony.
It is not uncommon for a proof to be selected, but objection raised to certain elements in the composition of the proof. It may be desired to eliminate certain extraneous background elements or to concentrate the print area on a specific subject. A decision is then made to crop out the undesired composition from the full print area. This has been conventionally left to the discretion of the photographer with information received from the customer. However, the customer may not be able to accurately visualize the composition of the crop print and may not agree with the decision made by the photographer who had something else in mind when he cropped the print.
Therefore, there is need for a device used in the cropping of photographic prints that allows the viewer to easily and accurately identify from the full print area the composition selected to appear in the final print with the undesired composition excluded.